England’s reservoirs at lowest level for a decade as experts call for hosepipe bans | Water

Since experts encourage water companies to replace the Hosepipe bans immediately, the UK’s reservoirs are at the lowest level for ten years.

In June, the reservoirs across the country were 76% full of 76%, which was under their level in the severity of 2022, where they were currently 77% in the summer.

The levels continue to significantly decrease as it causes water demand for water and rains very little to fill the reservoirs.

Experts warned water companies to apply Hosepipe bans throughout the country. Prof. Dr. Reading University Associate Professor of Hydrology Jess Neumann said, “In the regions of the country, non -reasonable dry spring reservoir levels decreases to critical low levels.

“Water companies need to be proactive. Hosepipe bans can save 3-7% of daily water use as long as the public needs water protection.

Dr. Jonathan Paul added: “The reservoir levels are directly linked to precipitation, so local restrictions on water use (such as hosepipe bans) may be required to balance them.”

Yorkshire Water, the region in 132 years after recording the most dry spring of the Hosepipe restrictions. On Friday, South East Water also announced a prohibition of a Hosepipe for more than a million people in Kent and Sussex.

Water bosses are reluctant to implement Hosepipe bans because they affect customer satisfaction ratings, the government’s resources in the national drought group told The Guardian. These ratings collected by the regulator contribute to a water company’s performance report.

The resources in the drought group regularly gathered to discuss the response to droughts, said companies expect companies to fulfill the prohibitions “until the last moment”. Rivers are already at low levels and more abstraction may face environmental damage risk.

Environmental Agency officials advise the Environmental Secretary Steve Reed as to whether Water Company drought plans are sufficient. They said that water companies should follow their drought plans and that Hosepipe bans should be in place before the permission of extra river abstraction and to have a measurable effect on reducing customer demand.

It has been seriously restricted in irrigation of farmers’ territory in some parts of the country.

Tom Bradshaw, President of the National Farmer Union, said that this was the “risk of food production ında in East Anglia, especially on many farms. The district had extremely low rainfall in this spring, and since 1871, the lowest third, reservoir and groundwater levels fell. There is no prohibition for the residents, but farmers are fighting to irrigate their plants.

Bradshaw said to Guardian: “Abstraction bans have already been implemented in Norfolk without already engagement or warning. It seems ridiculous when there was no ban on official drought or a prohibition.”

Currently, the regions with the highest risk of exhaustion are largely based on reservoirs instead of groundwater.

The wet autumn and winter of 2024-25 allowed the country to charge the country under the aquifers-zemi of the country, so the southeastern parts where the soil is chalk and the aquifers are faster charging is better than Midlands and the North.

However, more dry air may cause aquifer levels to decrease, and groundwater levels are already below normal. The latest view from the British Center of Ecology and Hydrology says: “July appearance, groundwater levels are expected to remain below normal in most areas and will continue in some regions.”

Neumann added: “The pressures on water supply are not limited to the British regions that are dependent on reservoirs, but also affect areas where it is fed from groundwater resources such as central and South East. [as rivers and reservoirs] When the rains finally arrived. “

Combined with the hot air that increases the use of consumer water, long -term dry spring and summer caused the country’s reservoir levels to decrease significantly in Midland and northern regions.

Severn Trent’s reservoir levels fell from 83.5% to 71.1% on May 23, while United Utilities reservoir levels are currently at 84.5% last year.

Yorkshire’s reservoirs are more than 55.8%about what will normally be at this time of the year.

Last year, government and water companies announced proposals to build nine new reservoirs by 2050. Shortly after the privatization of the water sector since 1992, large reservoirs have not been completed in the UK.

A Water UK spokesman: “Water companies do everything possible to prevent restrictions on customers, including the increase in water around their regions and increase in leakage.

Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Department spokesperson said: “Without emergency action, a rapid population growth, a crumbled infrastructure and a heated climate average can consume UK drinking water.